CHRISTIAN LOVE STORIES

"When I found the one I love, I held him and would not let him go" (Song of Solomon 3:4). My name is Kristy Dykes, and I write Christian love stories for Barbour Publishing...perhaps because I live with a hero husband. At this site, I cover marriage, romance, and Christian fiction. These book titles make me smile--and offer great truths: Sometimes I Wake Up Grumpy and Sometimes I Let Him Sleep, Love Extravagantly, Every Marriage Is A Fixer-Upper, Red-Hot Monogamy.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

DEADLINED AND LOVING IT!

I'm deadlined...and loving it! I'm grateful for writing opportunities because...I'm called to write. Especially Christian fiction. January was a blur as I finished a novella for a contracted project entitled Kiss the Bride. It's about four young restaurant owners who pass around a "Kiss the Cook" apron until they each find romance with Mr. Right. The last groom crosses out "Cook" and writes "Bride." Each novella in this Barbour 4-in-1 tells the love story of each girl. Kiss the Bride will be on shelves September, 2006. The publisher plans to feature the apron on the cover. I can't wait to see it. The four coauthors are: Kristy Dykes, Aisha Ford, Vickie McDonough, and Carrie Turansky. We plan to have aprons made identical to the one on the cover and wear them at a large book signing in September at American Christian Fiction Writers annual conference in Dallas. That should be fun.

I enjoyed writing my novella, "Angel Food," in this collection. My heroine learns an important lesson in life and love, found in 1 Corinthians 131,3: "If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal…if I give all I possess to the poor…but have not love, I gain nothing." Though she helps in a rebuilding project sponsored by her church (a worthy, God-pleasing activity), she's not putting Christ first in her life because her focus is on her new restaurant and seeing it succeed. She's consumed with this goal because she wants to take care of her mother in her elderly years (her mother had her late in life)--a worthy, God-pleasing goal. But she finally comes to see what true success is and what true love (for God) is. And in the process, she finds the love of her life!

Now, I'm facing another deadline: May 1, 2006. Hallelujah! I love those deadlines! I'm writing Heart of the Matter, a contemporary novel for Heartsong Presents (Barbour). Here's a short blurb:

A man with a prejudice...A woman with a problem...A child with the answer.

The scriptural theme is: It’s what’s in the heart that matters, not a person’s outward appearance, based on 1 Samuel 16:7.

I'm teaching a fiction workshop at Florida Christian Writers Conference in Bradenton, Florida, this coming weekend. www.flwriters.org Some of the speakers who are leading authors of fiction are T. Davis Bunn, Angie Hunt, Gayle Roper, Eva Marie Everson, Bryan Davis, and more.

About Me

“Pizzazz! Enthusiasm! High energy! Those are a few of the words that describe Kristy Dykes. From the moment she steps up to the platform, she captivates your attention. As both a writer and a speaker, Kristy is moving and motivating. She will touch your heart with love and laughter.”-- FLORENCE LITTAUER. A former newspaper columnist, Kristy Dykes is an award-winning author of 10 Christian fiction titles as well as over 600 articles in many publications including two New York Times subsidiaries. Her titles have been on the Christian bestsellers list and Top 20 List at christianbook.com, and have won many awards including Second Place in the 2007 Barclay Gold, Third Place in the 2007 Inspirational Readers Choice Contest, and Third Place in the ACFW 2006 Book of the Year Contest (novella category). Kristy writes a column for the ezine of the inspirational chapter of Romance Writers of America, has taught at many conferences and two colleges, and speaks for women's and writers' events.
Living a kaleidoscopic life as a pastor’s wife, she jokes that she has 1.2 million acts of kindness in circulation instead of 1.2 million books. And she loves every minute of it!

A RECENT AWARD

Kristy won Second Place in the 2007 Barclay Gold for her novella "Angel Food" in the 4-in-1 collection Kiss the (Cook) Bride. She won Third Place for the same title in the 2007 Inspirational Readers Choice Contest, awarded by FHL, the inspirational chapter of Romance Writers of America. Kristy also won Third Place in the 2006 Book of the Year Contest, awarded by American Christian Fiction Writers, for her novella "Reunited" in the 4-in-1 collection Wedded Bliss?.

KRISTY'S PUBLISHED WORKS

The Heart of the Matter

Kiss the Bride

Wedded Bliss?

Room At the Inn

Holiday At the Inn

The Tender Heart

Church in the Wildwood

Sweet Liberty

American Dream

KRISTY'S UPCOMING RELEASE

Florida Weddings (Spring '08)

KRISTY'S LATEST BOOKS

1) The Heart of the Matter, a novel, is now available at christianbook.com. "Can Luke overcome his vain prejudice? Can Jeris allow her tender heart to trust again? Will they let God show them the heart of the matter?" (1 Samuel 16:7) 2) Kiss the Bride, a 4-in-1 novella collection, is also available. Coauthors: Kristy Dykes, Aisha Ford, Vickie McDonough, Carrie Turansky. Plot: Four restaurant owners discover a dash of hope, a dollop of longing, and a plateful of faith are the recipe for romance.